From: Your Friendly Finance Team

To : Anyone Who’s Ever Said “I Think I Have That Around Here”

Let’s get real—no one joins a company eagerly anticipating filing agreements and chasing signatures. We all eagerly anticipate building, selling, marketing, and innovating. But the less-than-glamorous reality is this: all of that is irrelevant if the paperwork’s in disarray.

This is not being “by the book.” It’s about making sure the book exists, gets signed, and is in the right place when we need it to be.

Wait, Is This Really That Serious?
Yes. Yes, it is.

When contracts remain unfiled or terms of agreement become lost in vague email chains, it trickles down throughout the company. We’re talking about:

• Payment delays

• Legal exposure

• Unclear obligations

• Budget guesswork (a personal favorite…)

Best scenario, it causes internal confusion. Worst scenario, we lose money—or worse—are subject to unwarranted disputes.

Real-Life Scenarios (We’re Not Making This Up)
1. “We Didn’t Know We Had to Pay That.”
So it turns out someone signed a 12-month auto-renewing vendor agreement. Finance didn’t know until the invoice arrived—and was due yesterday.

2. “It’s in My Inbox… Somewhere.”
A customer is disputing their payment terms. Legal can’t argue it, and finance can’t collect it—because the signed contract can’t be found.

3. “Verbal Agreement Only.”
We’re sure the handshake was real, but try explaining that to the tax office or independent auditors.

What Proper Filing Really Does
– Shields Everybody: You, us, the company.

• Speeds Payments: Clear contract → clean billing → faster cash flow.

• Saves Fire Drills: No more frantic scrambles for contracts at the eleventh hour.

• Assists in Decision-Making: With finance aware of the terms of the deal, we can budget and forecast with more accuracy.

But It’s Just a Document… Isn’t It?
We get it. To some teams, a deal feels like administrative cost. This is a little finance reality check, though: a signed contract is the only thing that makes an epic conversation real revenue.

And a properly filed one? That’s what keeps your future self from saying, “Oh no.”

How You Can Help Us Help You
Use the Standard Pipeline: It’s not red tape. It’s the guardrail that keeps us all from falling into chaos.

Send Agreements to the Right Folder (Not Just to Bob): We love Bob, but he went on leave six weeks ago.

Loop Us In Early: We’re much better at planning when we’re not working from surprise.

Final Thoughts (and a Friendly Plea)
In the end, we’re all here to move quickly, grow up fast, and keep things in working order. But only if we play on a team—and yes, that is clicking “Upload Attachment” on the contract email.

Next time you’re about to say, “We’ll get to the paperwork later,” just consider the collective eye twitch of the Finance Team.

Help us help you. Sign it. File it. Share it.

Because a deal is not a deal until the contract is signed—and safely stashed where everybody knows when it’s legally legit.

Warm regards,
The Finance Team and the Shared Service Team (aka Guardians of Agreements, Wranglers of Revenue)